Dystopia
by Alliooup
Summary: She escaped his rule and fled his walls. She found the rebels and took up arms. She found something she never expected in a rough revolutionary who was far more than she expected. Dystopian society AU. BunnyxTooth with one-sided PitchxTooth
1. Look Down

_~Look Down~_

I.

There are mud stains her boots. Dirt covers her cheeks. All she carries is a small basket of food in her skinny arms. It is not hers.

Her jeans are torn and she fixes her gaze at the craggily street where she walks. Ignoring the calls for bread, for fruit, water. Anything.

She ignores them. She has to. It's how you survive now.

A small group of soldiers are walking towards her. She tries to shrink herself up so they won't see her. _Please, please, please. _She begs silently clutching the paper bag tightly.

Of course they see her.

They approach her. Their breath is sour. Their eyes leer at her, she know what they're thinking as they tug at the ratty fabric of her dress. Twirling the long dark tendrils of hair that frame her face.

She grits her teeth. _Don't fight back, they'll kill you. _

"Please," She says softly, "I- I have food for the King's table. He won't be happy if I'm late."

II.

The King. Pitch Black.

He was not always King, but before him there were many others. Once the land was free. That was so long ago, though.

Then there was a war. Then, there was a flu that swept throughout the world. There was suffering, starvation, and death. Even more than there is now.

Then a man rose up, claiming that he could create a new world. One made of gold and light. The people loved him and he ruled them fairly. At least that's what the teachers taught her in her few years of schooling.

No matter how it was then, It is dark now. Nightmares hide in the shadows and fear commands the people. Not light. Not gold. No hope. No wonder remains. All that's gray.

III.

The soldiers stiffen up and draw back. They hold their guns and snicker when the girl looks at them quickly.

"Go run to the kitchens, little bird." They call. She skitters from their grip and hurries away.

A plane flies overhead, probably carrying food to some of the other cities under Pitch's control.

The girl approaches a great wall. There is a small booth where a large man sits. His eyes are gray and his face his tired.

"Papers?" He says.

The girl holds up a small book with her picture printed on it, along with her information.

This gives her permission to move through the rings.

The man nods, and then pulls a lever. There's a great creak and the sound of scraping metal.

The gates open. The girl passes to the middle ring.

IV.

The people in the middle ring are comfortable. They dress in soft colors and look clean. They are better fed, but could probably do with more medicine. The guards there are more… accommodating, but that didn't stop them from beating a thief senseless for sneaking an extra loaf of bread for his sick daughter.

The girl winces at his cries as she passes. _The law is the law. _She chants. _We must do everything Pitch says. _She hurries past the less-shabby buildings to the next wall. The woman here recognizes the girl, since trips between the upper and middle ring are common.

"Papers?" She says sweetly. The girl holds them up.

The gates open. This is the Upper Ring.

V.

There are bright colors everywhere. The people are healthy and happy. At least, not the people who were born into servitude.

The girl slides around them. They look at her with disgust. Like she is a worm writhing in the mud at there feet.

She ignores them and passes their great buildings and grand homes to the center of town.

To the palace.

It's huge, and made of a dark material that is supposed to be bullet proof. But those are just rumors from the other maids in the palace. The girl has never seen an attack on Pitch's palace.

She never expects to.

She reaches the next gate and shows the guard her papers. She has spoken to him before. He could have just let her in. That is, if he wanted his fingers chopped off.

He opens the iron gates and she passes through. She cuts across a path, well hidden by plants and ferns.

She goes to the servant's entrance, an inconspicuous door at the back of the building.

She pushes it open and slides inside. She moves down a dark corridor, these are hidden within the walls of the palace. Pitch hates seeing servants unless he absolutely needs to.

She finds the right door and pushes it open.

She is overcome with noise and bright color, dancing like fire.

VI.

"There you are!" The head cook shouts, she's a large woman, with even larger breasts. "I've been wait'n on you for the oranges for an hour or so." She snatched the bags from the girl's arms and riffled through it. "Only two?" She asked, holding up the, very small, fruits.

"I had to go all the way to the third ring to find some." The girl replied, tying back her dark hair with a tie-dyed bandana.

The head cook sighs and begins pealing the oranges. "Just hurry to the dining room and set up an extra set of plates. I hear the Lord has some guests coming." The girl nods, grabs another set of plates and darts around the hurrying servants carrying platters and steaming bowls of food that she'd never be able to try.

She slips into the corridor, letting her hand slide along the wall, counting the doors until she hits the right one. Number thirty-five.

She opens the door silently and goes inside. The room is massive, with three crystal chandeliers hanging from a painted ceiling. The table is made from a dark wood and covered with a silver-embroidered thread.

Her feet clack softly against the marble floor as she begins to set the extra plates and spoons.

She's nearly done when she hears the door click open. She whirls around, her eyes widening with fear. _"You must never be seen unless the master wishes it of you." _She remembers the head cook telling her ever since she was small.

Then she sees him. His long black robe sweeps against the white marble, and his amber eyes glitter when they meet hers.

She instantly drops to her knees and bows her head.

She hears his soft footsteps coming closer, closer…

He's in front of her now. She knows it.

"Look at me." He says.

Since he is a king who could have her killed with a single word, she obliges.

VII.

He enjoys the sight of her. She has bright purple eyes that shimmer in the light, and long waves of dark brown hair that cascade down her shoulders.

Her skin is tan, with dirt smudged across her cheekbone, but that could be fixed easily. Her lips are pink.

He feels his lips spread into a grin as he offers her his hand. "Stand." He says. She hesitantly takes it and he pulls her to her feet, looking her up and down. She has a lovely figure. A bit skinny, but that could all be fixed with a little food.

"Tell me your name." He says. His eyes float to the brightly colored fabric in her hair.

"It's T-Toothiana." She says.

_Toothiana… _he smiles and places his hands behind his back.

VIII.

"I would like to see you in my room at seven o' clock, after my guests have left." He says promptly as he turns away. He pauses and his lips quirk slightly. "Be sure to dress nicely… _Toothiana. _

Tooth nods and he disappears behind the door. Her heart is pounding; breath flying in and out of her lungs as she quickly gathers her things. Her hands are shaking as she runs to the door hidden in the wall. She disappears inside, and runs to the kitchens.

**A/N: I've never written anything like this before, so the style is very, very different for me… The story I'm planning is sweettooth with a little unrequited cavity thrown in. If I continue this it will probably be a side project from my main story, Bright Feathers and Dream Catchers, but tell me if you want more, and I'll gladly continue. **


	2. Run Fast

_~Run Fast~_

I.

She stumbles into the kitchen, grabbing onto someone's arm for support, but both end up tumbling to the ground with a crash.

"What they hell?" The servant shouts, gathering up the broken shards of the bowl.

The head cook pushes through the crowd that had quickly formed around them. Tooth is shaking and her eyes are huge. "What's the matter with you?" The stout woman said, pulling her up by a scrawny arm. Toothiana clings to her, her breathing heavy. _Is this really happening? He… Pitch didn't just ask me to be… _

She looks up to the head cook's round, plump face. "I saw him." Toothiana says.

"What?" The cook's brown eyes widen. "What did her say?" She grips Tooth's shoulder's roughly as Toothiana struggled to answer.

"He said he wanted to see me in his room tonight." The kitchen seemed to go silent. People looked at her with shocked expressions of sympathy and fear. "He said to look nice." Toothiana paused and looked up into the head cook's eyes.

"Please don't make me go." She begged, clinging to the cook's flour-covered sleeve.

"I don't think you have a choice, Tooth." The cook replied, eyes going misty as she turned Toothiana's face up to hers.

_No. _

II.

Toothiana twiddled her thumbs as she waited in the massive room of the Nightmare King.

Every now and then her eyes would flit to the massive bed a few feet away from the balcony that looked out over the city. The thick covers were a bright red and the wood was black.

There was a large globe sitting on a desk that Toothiana approached slowly. A few little lights glowed in various locations on its surface. _What are these? _Toothiana wondered, lightly tapping the cool surface.

The heavy door clicked open.

Or perhaps… it had just clicked shut.

III.

Her long dark hair hung down to her back, it was neatly brushed and she'd left behind that silly bandana. She wore a long nightgown that grazed the dark marble floor. It was plain, but then again it was probably the nicest thing that she could afford.

Her eyes watched him carefully as he crossed the room towards her. She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to try to shrink up. He resisted the urge to frown. Instead he chuckled and reached out, pulling her arms down. She would need to learn that she couldn't hide herself from him.

She would belong to him.

He pulled her body to his; she was so short, and so small. He liked that about her.

She feels stiff against him. He frowns. She's not supposed to be this way. She needs to do exactly as he says. That's how it always is.

"Relax." He says, leaning down to drag his lips across her cheek. She shivers but he's unsure if it's out of pleasure or not.

He grips her chin in his hand and leans down to her. He presses his lips against hers and chooses to ignore the small whimper that she lets out against his lips. Instead he pulls her closer, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue.

She seems to go limp, not reacting to anything he does. Not even when he slips his tongue past her lips. When she tries to pull away, he just holds onto her tighter.

He bites down gently on her lower lip, backing her down against the bed.

She lies limply underneath him. When he pulls back he sees her eyes are still wide open, she's staring at him. A tear slips out of her eye and rolls down her cheek, Pitch wipes it away.

He would make her happy. He needed a wife and she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. If only she would just give herself to him!

"Close your eyes." He commanded. She takes a shuddering breath and slowly closes her eyes. Pitch leans into her neck, kissing her pulse and slowly trailing down.

He uses a pale finger to unlace the front of her nightgown. Then, she moves.

IV.

_Crack! _

Toothiana's fist hurts more than Pitch's jaw does as she scrambles out from under him.

He grunts and gently prods at his chin. A small white object falls from his mouth and clatters to the floor. A tooth.

She scrambles for the door. It's unlocked! She forces it open, ignoring Pitch's furious snarls for her to stop.

She sprints down the hall, but he's quickly upon her. Wrapping his spindly arms around her body, he pins her against his chest. "No!" Tooth shouts raking her nails across his face, earning a pained yelp from him.

He loosens his grip and Toothiana slams her heal down on the top of his foot. He crumples to the ground. She bolts for the wall, looking for the hidden door.

_Clank. _The door slides open and Toothiana disappears into the darkness.

V.

Three lines burned against the Nightmare King's gray skin. "Damn." He cursed. He looked up to see the fairy-like woman was gone. He growled in fury, stumbling to his feet. "Guards!" he shouts, summoning at least twenty men from down the corridor. "I want her found." He said quickly. "Return her to me unharmed."

VI.

Toothiana gasped as she stumbled blindly back down towards the kitchens. She burst through the door and pushed her way past the pots and pans to the small room where the women slept.

She tried to be as quiet as possible as she hurriedly put her scarce belongingss in a small satchel that she pulled over her head. She fumbled for her bandana tying it as quickly as she could, trying to be as quiet as possible.

A hand gripped her shoulder, whipping her around. Toothiana gasped only to have a palm clamp down on her mouth. "Shhh." The head cook hissed.

Toothiana nodded and the cook removed her hand. "What happened?" The older woman asked desperately searching Toothiana's face.

"He tried to-" She paused and looked at the head cook.

"I know." The woman brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "but what's going on? There are guards-"

"Guards?!" Toothiana jumped to her feet quickly. "I need to get out of here-" She quickly began possible plans in her head. The gates to the outer rings would be sealed of now, but maybe if she could scale the wall-

"I'll get you out of here." The cook said solemnly.

"What?" Toothiana asked, "but if he finds out then-"

"I know." The woman replied sternly, "but you aren't the only one to try to resist Pitch's rule." Her voice softened, "There is a chance that we could all be free, yet."

Toothiana nodded gently. "Show me the way."

VII.

Toothiana sprinted across the uneven ground of the forest. She had never known woods surrounded the entire city. But there was no time for that. They were chasing her.

On snarling black mares, Pitch's guards pursued her. Snapping at her satchel and hair as she stumbled across the paths.

The head cook has shown her a small crevice in the wall, just barely big enough for Toothiana to slip through.

The older woman had barely enough time to shove a dagger into Toothiana's hand, and then she was yanked back by… something. "Run!" she shouted shrilly the moment Toothiana tried to crawl back to her rescue.

Toothiana paused, how could she just leave her there? "GO!" The woman shrieked.

Toothiana whipped around and bolted, cutting across the grass and dodging between trees.

Just as Tooth began to sprint down a steep hill she felt fingers snare in her long hair, yanking her back roughly. She shrieked in pain and grabbed for the dagger. With a jagged yanking motion she ripped the blade through her hair, setting her free.

She skittered away, running deeper into the woods.

A stitch burned in her side as she stumbled on. She heard the rush of hooves behind her.

She spared a glance just in time to see a hand stretching out to grab her.

_No. _

VIII.

He caught sight of her from his hiding place in the trees. He saw her slice off her own hair. He saw her run. She was quick. She was trying to escape them. "Alright, sheila," He said, crushing a cigarette under his boot. "guess I'm comin' to the rescue."

**A/N: Review?**


	3. Be Safe

_~Be Safe~_

I.

She opens her mouth to shout, but is cut off by a flash of gray and blue flying down from the trees, tackling the soldier from his horse. Tooth stumbles back as the strange figure pulls out two dented pieces of wood from a sheath strapped to his back.

He flings his arms out, sending the objects hurtling through the air. They catch a quickly approaching guard on the head, knocking him into the dirt, while the other swirls right past Toothiana's face. All she feels is the briefest of whistling breezes pass by her cheek, and then it's gone.

There's a strangled yelp from behind her as she whips around to see the man had taken down a guard she hadn't even seen approaching her. _Amazing… _she thought just as she feels a warm, dry hand close comfortably around hers.

She looks up and is met with a dirt stained face, rugged blue gray sideburns and hair. Bright green eyes. He smirks at her, "You gonna keep moonin', sheila? Or do you want to get out of here?"

Toothiana just nods, curling her fingers, which he smiles at.

Then, he pulls her off and they slip into the woods.

II.

Pitch sat on his black horse. The thickly wooded forest surrounds him as his mare paws the ground in anticipation.

He grits his teeth when one of his guards approaches him, completely out of breath, resting his hands on his knees as he gasps for air.

"My King," he begins raggedly.

"What were my orders?" Pitch asked coldly as his grip on the reins tightened.

"T-to find the woman." The private stuttered, his hands beginning to shake as he looked into Pitch's amber eyes.

Pitch paused before allowing a small smile to tug on the corners of his lips. "Correct." He said smoothly, gently nudging the horse forward so that he was now right next to the soldier. The young man's eyes widened with fear as Pitch leaned down closer to him. "So why," he drawled, "Is. She. Still. Gone?" He snarls, grabbing the young man by the collar of his shirt.

"It was a rebel!" The man shouts, "Please, I swear to you! He came and took her away, there was nothing we could do!"

_Of course…_

Pitch drops the man to the ground and sighs. "Then I suppose there's only one thing left to do…" He looks down at the fearful soldier, a malevolent glint in his eyes. "Bring me Shan-Yu."

III.

Bunny keeps his grip on her strong as they wade through the chest high water of the river. "Hold on, sheila." He says as a particularly tall wave crashes into them, water spills over her head. As soon as she resurfaces water sputters from her mouth, and she gasps for breath.

Her short brown hair was hacked to pieces by her knife, there are a few long strands that still reach her back and float in the water around them, but most of her locks are jaggedly cut close to the scalp, and the short wet tendrils stick to her face.

She is tired, Bunny can see it written all over her face, but she says nothing. She's strong.

He likes that about her.

"Hold on, sheila." He says before lifting her up onto his back. He then carries her up out of the frigid water and back onto the dry earth.

She shivers against his back, and he feels a tug in his chest. He doesn't set her down and instead continues walking, carrying her on his back.

"Y-you don't need t-to do that." She shivers.

Bunny just shifts her into a more comfortable position on his back. "Yes I do, sheila." He says, then they continue on.

IV.

Pitch sits on his black marble thrown, one leg tossed over the other, his chin resting on his knuckle.

He appraises the man kneeled before him.

"So you understand?" Pitch asks.

The golden eyed, fur clothed man below him smiled. "With clarity," he said smoothly, "My king."

V.

The fire crackles quietly as Toothiana tucks her knees to her chest. The grungy man across from her wears a dirty once-white shirt rolled up to his elbows and a light blue-gray vest. He has dark pants that he wears tucked into his boots.

Lighting a cigarette, he brings it to his lips and takes a deep drag. Sighing contentedly, he offers the object to her.

"Want one, sheila?" The young woman looks at him and quickly shakes her head, the half-wet strands of hair smacking against the sides of her face.

"Do you know what that does to your teeth?" She asks.

Bunny chuckles. "No I s'pose not." He takes another drag before dropping the cigarette into the dirt and crushing it with his heel.

"But I wouldn't want to be botherin' you with my habits." He said as he leaned back against a tree stump, tilting his head back as he closes his eyes.

There's a beat of silence.

Then the sound of shifting dirt. He barely opens his eyes, just in time to see the tiny bundle curled up on the ground. Her hands are held close to her body and her knees pressed against her chin.

Her dress –or nightgown- is covered in dirt and leaves. It's only now that he realizes she has no shoes.

They would take care of that tomorrow.

VI.

Shan-Yu traces the footprints in the mud with a knobby finger. They had gone through the river, covered up their trail. It would take more time to find them, but it was not impossible.

He would find them.

He would kill the rebel who had the woman.

He would drag the wench back to Pitch, kicking and screaming if he had too.

He would do it.

And he would enjoy every second of it.

VII.

"What's your name?" the woman asked him, they walked side by side across the uneven forest soil.

"Call me Bunnymund, or Bunny, either is fine." He expected her to laugh, after all, his name was odd.

There was a brief pause.

"Mine's Toothiana." Bunny looked down at the ragged looking girl. A tie-dye bandana held back the bangs, well what was left of them- out of her face.

"That's nice, sheila." He said, she frowned at him like she expected him to be joking.

He snickered. "Really, I think it's nice." Her brows furrowed for a moment, then, she smiled.

VIII.

Toothiana's heart pounded in her ears.

They were not doing this. They couldn't be. They could be killed or worse, what if-

"What about this one, sheila?" Bunny held up a light pink shirt.

"Do you understand what will happen if we're caught?" she hissed, curling her toes together in her new boots.

They were in the lower ring of a town not far from the capital city. For some reason, Bunny had been let in. All he'd done was show the man at the gate – he was aged and wore a blue robe with a cane- a piece of cloth with a 'G' on it.

Now here they were, shopping for clothes. She'd already gotten new pants, boots and a jacket.

"Here." He handed it to her.

And now a shirt too... she turned away from him and slipped the shirt over her head. When she looked away she saw his gaze fixed down at the dirt.

"You done, sheila?" He asks. Tooth tugs on her jacket and nods.

"Yes." She replies, he looks up and grabs her hand.

"Good." He says, "Because we have somewhere to go."

**A/N: Review?**


	4. Keep Warm

_~Keep Warm~_

I.

The brisk morning air sent a quick whistling wind through the forest. Tooth pulled the jacket closer to her body as the wind seemed to pass straight through her jacket and right into her bones.

"Want some, sheila?" Bunny asked, offering a raw carrot to her, which serves as breakfast. They barely had any food, but luckily Bunny had said they were just a day away from a much larger city that would be willing to shelter them. Why? Tooth had no idea. In fact she didn't know very much about Bunny.

In fact, she knew nothing at all…

She snapped off half of the carrot, leaving a piece of it for Bunnymund. She stuck the orange vegetable in her mouth and nibbled slightly at the edge. She looks at him from the corner of her eye.

He's got dirt smudged on the side of his face, probably from sleeping on the forest floor all night. His blue gray hair is mussed and he's got slightly overgrown stubble. Maybe he'd been on his own for a while; he obviously didn't have what he needed to shave… Or bathe.

Tooth tries to inconspicuously scratch the side of her chin as she thinks of what to ask him. Or if she should ask anything at all…

Tooth pulls the small pocketknife out of her cargo jacket's pocket and begins flipping the silver blade in and out of its shiny sheath.

"Hand that here." Bunny says, reaching out his hand. Tooth hesitates, but she has no reason to be afraid. He saved her. He's been the one to take care of her, so she hands him the knife. "Now turn around and scoot towards me, sheila."

Tooth instantly freezes. This reminds her of when Pitch had summoned her. When he'd kissed her and tried to…

Tooth quickly shakes her head, ignoring the confused look Bunny gives her as she turns around and scoots in front of him.

He makes a spot for her in-between his legs as he allows her to lean against his chest.

_Snip. Snip. _

She feels the gentle tugs against to unevenly hacked strands of her hair. The dark strands fall to the ground next to her as Bunny continues to trim her hair; evening out the pieces she's hacked apart just the day before.

"Why were you in the woods?" Tooth suddenly asks, she quickly bites her tongue. The head cook had always told her she talked to much, but she supposed that didn't matter much now, with the cook being…

Tooth wants to shake her head, but can't move because of Bunny's gentle, yet firm, grasp on her hair. So instead she closes her eyes and awaits his answer.

II.

Aster pauses and gently runs his finger across Tooth's smooth brown hair before snipping it to a shorter length, and then he reaches for another strand.

"Have you heard of the resistance, sheila?" He asks, inspecting her hair for any loose locks he may have missed. He hears her gasp. There's a beat of silence as Bunny reaches around and slips the knife back into her small hands.

"Yes." Tooth replies meekly. She still sits in front of him, nestled between his legs. Neither of them moves.

"Well," Bunny sighs and runs his fingers through his short hair. "I'm a part of it."

There's a thick silence that follows and it weighs heavily on Bunny's shoulders. He shouldn't care this much about what she thinks; after all, they've barely just met.

"I was a servant in Pitch's castle." She says softly, like it was hard for her to admit to herself.

Aster tenses up. He was playing a dangerous game: if this woman just turned out to be a spy, then he would be in deep, deep trouble.

"Really?" Bunny asks, playing it as coolly as he can. Tooth nods.

"I lived my whole life in that place, staying out of sight, and doing as I was told…" She takes a deep breath and then plunges on, "One day, I ran into Pitch."

Bunny swears he can feel the hairs on his arms bristle.

"And he wanted me to-" Her voice cracks and she quickly shakes her head, covering her eyes with her hand.

Bunny understands. He slides his arms around her, pulling her against his chest as small tremors race through her body. Small, silver tears trek down her cheek, leaving little wet trails until they drop off her chin and soak into Bunn's shirt.

He doesn't mind though, because in their world, you need trust; it's how you survive.

It's when he feels her fully relax against him, resting her head on his shoulder, that he knows he can trust her.

A spy –no matter how cunning- would never have opened up to him so fully.

It was one of the very few moments in his life where he simply knew.

III.

Shan- Yu grips the gatekeeper by the collar of his blue robe. "I'll ask you one more time, old man." His fist clenches more tightly around the cheep cloth, tightening the pressure on the old man's windpipe. "Were did the man and his little birdie fly off to?"

The old man's face contorts in pain as Shan-Yu tightens his grip, and causes the weaker of the two to wheeze pitifully as he claws at Shan's meaty hand, legs kicking feebly.

A smile curls its way onto the hunter's face as he hears a raspy whisper slip out between his pray's lips.

He strains to hear as the man's lips formed the words:

"Go…" He gasps the best breath he could from his constricted windpipe. "To hell."

Shan-Yu snarls and slams the man against the wall. A sickening _snap _cracks through the air as the old man's spinal cord splinters.

The massive hunter drops the broken body to the dirt and steps over his shakily breathing form. He was still alive, but not for long.

This way, he would suffer. Had the old man told Shan-Yu the truth, it would have been a painless death. Quick and clean.

Of course he had expected this. Rebels had a tendency to have 'stubbornness issues'. At least that's what Shan-Yu heard a toothpick of a boy say to him when he'd been sent to squash a rebellion in a border city.

From what he's heard, the revolutionaries in that town had escaped into the forest, and using their vast mechanics knowledge, built weapons and planes to counteract the King's army.

Shan- Yu scoffed. This silly game of hide-and-seek would be over soon, and then he could get back to his preferred profession.

Squashing any form of resistance to the greater power.

_The King's _Power.

IV.

They had walked all day almost completely in silence. Tooth's feet ache when the pair finally slumps down, just after the sun falls beneath the skyline. The world is in darkness.

Tooth hovers close to Bunny's shoulder as he strikes a match, the little flame burns bright in his hand as he holds it to the little cluster of dried leaves and sticks.

There's a _crackle _and a soft _snap _then the fire comes to life. It's gold light flickers, chasing the shadows far away, at least for the moment.

Tooth sighs with relief as she tucks her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them. A shiver runs through her as the wind whistles through the branches.

It's a mournful sound.

Bunny says he's run out of food, but they're very close to their next city. Apparently this one is secretly in alliance with the rebellion: They mayor has been tricking Pitch for years now.

This comforts Tooth a bit, at least now they aren't wanderers for some unknown amount of time.

V.

The fire dies down, leaving only little embers that glow defiantly in the heavy darkness.

Tooth shivers, her green jacket doing little to keep her warm.

She huffs indignantly and tucks her hands under her armpits. A gust of wind blows right through her, seeming to chill even her bones.

Tooth huffs and swears she can see a white cloud puff from her lips despite the fact that she couldn't see her hand, even if she holds it right in front of her own face.

She props herself up on her knees, squinting in an attempt to make out Bunny's slouched figure curled up in the dirt.

She sees nothing.

Tooth inches forward slowly, grazing the ground with her hand in a sweeping motion.

Then, her hand bumps into a boot. Tooth lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and shuffles up to him.

_I must be crazy. _She thinks as she lays down next to him. She can just barely feel his body heat next to her.

The goose bumps on her arms are stiff as little pebbles dotting her skin. Tooth sighs, then she slides closer to him, draping his arm over her midsection.

He grunts and begins to sit up, but Tooth quickly ensnares his sleeve in her fist and pulls him back down.

"Don't move." She orders as she begins to close her eyes. "Your keeping me warm."

He's silent for a moment, then lies back down next to her, molding his body to fit hers. "Better, sheila?" He asks as he slips his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Mmhmm." She mumbles, the chill already seeping out of her body, only to be replaced with his warmth.

She feels his strong arms pulling her closer and she knows she's keeping him warm as well.

The cold can't reach them here.

**A/N: So, a few notes, this IS a Human AU, and for those of you who don't know, Shan-Yu is the villain in Mulan. I decided to use Disney and DreamWorks characters so that this story wouldn't be completely flooded with OCs. **

**Questions? Critiscism? Praise? I accept it all :) Please review. **


	5. Stay Hidden

_~Stay Hidden~_

I.

Tooth gets yanked up and roughly shoved to her feet. Her mind is still in a haze as she pushes what's left of her bangs out of her face. "Bunny?" She asks just as a peppering of bullets fly past them.

He yanks her behind a tree with him, holding on tightly to her waist as the little domes of metal whiz past them, slicing through the air like knives. She grips the front of his dirty shirt tightly.

"What's going on?" She asks over the explosion of guns.

Bunny puts his hands on her shoulders, "I want you to run to the river, understand?" He shouts. Toothiana shakes her head quickly, her short strands of hair smacking against her cheeks.

"I'm not leaving you-"

"You will." He orders, looking at her intently. A bullet sends a chip of wood flying past Toothiana's head. "I can draw 'em off, sheila!" He shakes his head, "You can't fight them-"

Tooth opens her mouth to argue, but Bunny shouts her down. "You need to get into the water," he points as he speaks, "and swim to somewhere you can hide. Do not-" He brushes the hair out of her eyes, letting his hand rest on her cheek, "- let them see you."

Tooth finally takes a shuddering breath and nods. Bunny gives her a lasting look, and then he reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out her knife.

He slips it into her hand, curling her fingers around it.

"Run."

II.

Toothiana scrambles over logs, and keeps her shaking fingers snared tightly around the hilt of the knife despite the roots and branches that snare at her ankles and arms.

There's the sound of dozens of little feet pounding at the ground after her mixed with snarls and barks.

Her heart slams about heavily; shooting adrenaline through her veins as she pumps her arms harder. They'd sent dogs after her, like she was some deer that they were hunting.

Then again, she was their _prey _after all.

A large black dog bursts through the brush, snapping at her heels. Tooth stumbles as a strong jaw clamps around her ankle, sinking its teeth into the flesh.

Toothiana shrieks in agony as her legs twist together, flinging her across the uneven ground. A sharp pain shoots up her leg as the jagged teeth rip through her skin, blood gushing out in small rivers.

She yells viciously as she brandishes the knife, feeling no guilt as she plunges it into the dog's throat. The animal yips and there's a sick gurgling noise that he makes before slumping to the ground.

Tooth yanks out the knife, now sticky with blood and uses all her strength to push the dog's body off of her legs. She whines as the animal's weight shifts from her leg to her wounded ankle.

She tries to look at the gash, pulling up the shredded leg of her pants, but she's interrupted by the sound of horse hooves trample the ground just beyond the trees. Tooth drops the cloth and scrambles to one foot, limping down towards the river and using the branches of trees to stay upright.

A trail of red follows her as she scrambles onward, sweat slickens her brow and wets her hair as a burning sensation rushes up her leg all the way to her hip. She gasps as she trips over an unexpected rut hidden by leaves.

She pitches forward, tying to break her fall with her arms. Instead a hard pang wracks her arm as she tumbles down the hill, clawing at grass and twigs, anything that could stop her from smashing into the-

Water.

III.

She's completely enveloped in it as bubbles stream from her mouth and nose. She kicks her legs desperately, her foot smacking into the muddy ground.

Tooth then realizes that the water is shallow enough for her to stand, and she pushes herself up, breaking through the surface.

She gasps, letting the clear air fill her lungs as her leg throbs painfully. Toothiana looks around, searching for a place to hide. She finds a large tree grown into the side of the river, it's roots twisted and knotted around each other.

Tooth slips inside, pressing herself as deeply into the shadows as she could. Her breath is ragged, as she suddenly feels light headed and has to lean against the muddy wall, lifting her weak leg up slightly in an attempt to ease the pain.

She stills instantly when she hears the huff of a horse directly above her, along with the impatient pawing of hooves against the grassy bank. There's the sound of heavy boots thumping to the ground and drawing closer.

Tooth holds her breath and stays as still as she can.

There's the noise of sniffing for a moment… and then a frustrated whine from a dog.

Someone hisses, "The mutts have lost her scent."

Another voice growls low before snapping, "turn back, they must have met at a rendezvous point somewhere. We'll find them."

Tooth hears leaves crunching and the sound of fading footsteps. She waits for several minutes, holding her knife at the ready just in case Pitc's soldiers came back.

The puncture wounds in her ankle throbbed painfully as the blood pumped in her ears. They were gone now, she was sure of it. Now it was time to find Bunnymund, he'd led them off her trail, and it sounded like they hadn't found him- no they couldn't have found him…

She tentatively tries to put some weight on her foot, but instantly felt as though her ankle erupted into a sharp, burning pain. "Ah-" She cries out, biting down on her lower lip as she tips her head back against the muddy wall. She grips the hilt of her knife until her knuckles turn white.

She needs to find him, to make sure he's all right. After all, he's all she really has left now.

Tears burn her eyes as she tries and fails once again. She chokes on a sob, as she leans against the wall, sliding towards the open river, holding her knife up.

Then, there's a flash of brown and a sudden splash in front of her. Toothiana stumbles back, trying to shriek as pain rips up her leg, but only finding a hand covering her lips.

She thrashes her arms and tries to slash the unknown figure with her knife. Her arm is caught with a large hand. Tooth's heart pumps quickly, shooting adrenaline through her veins as she struggles to wriggle away.

She fell to one side, keeping her weight off of her weak leg. She feels an arm swoop under her knees, and a hushed voice say.

"Don't worry, sheila. It's me."

Toothiana stops squirming and looks up at the person holding her. She sees familiar green eyes and blue gray hair with gruff sideburns. "Bunny." She says softly, relief flooding her body as she instantly relaxing into his arms.

"Don't worry," he says, standing and holding her closely to his body. "I've got you."

IV.

They huddle in the shelter of a cave not long after that, not risking a fire as Bunny slowly wraps strips of cloth around her ankle.

He's gentle, despite how large and gruff he appears.

He suddenly pauses, letting his hand falter on the bare skin of her foot. He clears his throat. "I-I'm glad you're alright, sheila."

Tooth smiles and leans forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright, too."

**A/N: Review!**


	6. Get Well

_~Get Well~_

I.

Toothiana dreams. A blur of soft colors fade and flow across her mind in between her incoherent thoughts and memories. She remembers her time as a child: back to when she was too small to hold a serving tray and would simply scrub dishes in the massive washbasin. As she grew the basin seemed to shrink, and those serving trays soon became easy to lift. She dreams of the head chef. She remembers being scolded often for leaving out glasses of sugar water for the hummingbirds. It was _'a waste of good table sugar'. _Tooth smiles in her sleep as she recalls how the maid would then sit beside her and they'd watch the creatures together.

The colors of her sunlight room blur into a mix of gold, green, and blue before fading into a familiar gray stonewall. There's a knife being pushed towards her. Toothiana knows this memory and tries to force herself awake. Her breathing grows heavy as she reaches in-between the space in the bricks, trying to grab for the familiar hand that had soothed her as a child.

Instead, she feels cold, gray fingers curl around her wrist, dragging her across the dirt and into the darkness.

II.

Bunny twists the water out of the cloth before placing it across Tooth's forehead. Her face is pale, and her lips seem to have lost most of their color. She mumbles about a cook. Bunny has sat beside her for a few days now. He should have been more careful, more attentive. If he had, her wound wouldn't have grown infected, and she wouldn't have gotten sick.

He had found them a little cave, hidden from view, but they couldn't stay there much longer. Pitch's hunters were coming closer and Tooth… He looked at her as she moaned, her head turning to the side. Bunny places the back of his hand on her forehead. She's burning up.

If he doesn't get her help soon… she won't make it.

III.

Tooth is stirred from her dreams when she feels herself being lifted onto someone's back. Her first instinct is to run. To get away, but all she can muster is a weak shuffle before slumping back against their back.

Then she hears his voice. " It's alright, Toothy." Bunny says. Tooth slowly relaxes against his back, listening to the steady beat of his heart as he treks across the forest floor with surprising agility and speed.

They walk for a long time, and Tooth slowly drifts in and out of a haze, not realizing how she whispers her memories to Bunny as she does so. "When I was small," She begins, watching the trees slowly pass them. "I always wanted a rabbit." Bunny grunts, waiting for her to continue. "But I never could catch them. They were just so quick, and I barely ever saw them, unless I was in the lower rings of the city."

She feels her eyes growing heavy. "Sometimes I dream." She states. "I dream so much that I'm afraid I'll forget what's real, and what isn't." She tightens her grip on Bunny's shirt.

There's a pause.

"Just hold on to me." Bunny says, lifting her higher onto his back. "I'll keep you safe."

Tooth mumbles, and then grows silent.

IV.

There are a few moments where Bunny worries, but her steady breathing –no matter how ragged- forces him to keep moving. If they walk through the night, they could reach the Sun City by dawn. It would be dangerous to travel in darkness, but they didn't have time to stop.

Besides, the mayor of the Sun City was a double agent for the resistance, and his daughter was very skilled in healing. If he could just get Tooth there before dawn, maybe even before, she'd be all right.

She talks to him… but her grip around his shoulders is weakening. There's a pain in his chest. He wants her to live. They hadn't been together for long, and yet… he still cares so much for her. Why? He'd met plenty of people on the run from Pitch's reign and he'd never cared for them like he had for her.

It was strange.

But nice.

V.

Toothiana recalls one of the rare times she was allowed to play in the gardens. She had been young, and the sky was blue. Little butterflies fluttered through the air lazily and she was content to run around, chasing after them. They were golden, and their wings shimmered in the sunlight.

There was a soft cracking and Toothiana turned, her wavy brown hair swishing around her shoulders.

There is a boy, maybe a few years older than her, standing in the garden, dressed in all black with his dark hair brushed out of his face. He holds a book in his hands and looks at her as though he has never seen another child before.

His eyes are strange, amber. The look at each other for a brief moment before Toothiana realizes that he is not another servant, and being caught not doing her job would result in a severe lashing. She immediately turns on her heal and runs away, despite his cries of protests. She feels him chasing after her, but he doesn't know the secret passages like he does. She easily slips away from him and disappears into the hallways hidden within the walls.

Toothiana awakes with a start. The boy… he couldn't have been… Then, the dark hand of exhaustion reaches up again and curls its gentle arms around her, pulling her back into the abyss.

VI.

Pitch slowly opens his eyes, pushing himself up into a sitting position as he tries to push the dream away. No. Not a dream. A memory.

He smiles slightly. So that was why he'd been drawn to her. Then his brow furrows as he lies back on the bed.

He would find her.

VII.

Bunny is running. They are almost there. They are so, _so_ close. He can see the city walls rising above the trees as he runs, leaping over a log blocking his path.

They'd had a near run in with the hunters, but he'd led them off their trail, tricking them into thinking they were running to the mountains with a path of false footprints.

He bursts through the brush, seeing the gateway into the city. Bunny bolts forward, Tooth barely still hanging to his back. There's a blonde man with a beard guarding the gates that stops him. Bunny glares at the man as he shows him the blue cloth with the silver unscripted 'G'. Instantly he opens the gates, offering to take Toothiana.

Bunny simply says, 'no', but he needs to get to the Mayor's house _now._ It's then when he hears Tooth groan. Bunny bolts past the guard and runs through the streets, pushing past several civilians in order to get to the tall white mansion that lies in the center of town. There is no gate there, the mayor had ordered it be pulled down the moment he joined the resistance.

As soon as he steps on the lawn, a familiar young woman pushes open the front door. Her long blonde hair is swept up in a braid. Her mouth forms an 'O' as she sprints to him, immediately tending to the woman on his back, firing off questions like a pistol.

Suddenly, Bunny feels very tired. He'd run for so long, and he just wanted to collapse. Instead, the girl known as Rapunzel, pushes him through the doorway and leads him to a guest bedroom where he places Tooth on the sheets.

Rapunzel instantly orders her maids to bring her water and some type of herb. Bunny isn't listening. He simply kneels down beside the bed and takes her hand in his, watching as her closed eyelids flutter.

He sighed in relief.

She would be all right.

VIII.

Toothiana is running, searching for something… what is it? Where is she? What's going on? It's cold where she is, and dark too. She just wants to get out of this place. She begins to feel a deep sinking feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach when a warm hand wraps around hers. And just like that, she's pulled into the air, light shining down as the shadows bleed away. There's a rushing feeling in her ears as colors shoot past her.

She takes a deep breath of air as she plunges into consciousness. Her body is covered in sweat and she feels chilled, but… awake. More awake than she'd been in a while. She feels someone squeeze her hand and turns her head in the direction of the movement.

It's Bunny. He has shadows under his eyes and looks absolutely terrible. Dirt covers his face and clothes, and he looks like he hasn't slept. He smiles and places a hand on her cheek. "Hey, sheila." He says.

Tooth smiles in return. "Hey."

**A/N: Review? What do you think will happen? Who do you think we'll see? What are you afraid will happen/want to happen?**


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